Africa-Press – Uganda. Girls from seven districts have been selected to participate in a five-year women’s empowerment programme that aims at grooming them for leadership.The girls have been chosen from Moroto, Napak, Kampala, Iganga, Kamuli, Bugiri and Buyende districts to join the $500,000 (about Shs1.7b) She Leads programme that is being funded by the Dutch Embassy.
Speaking at the launch in Kampala on Wednesday, Mr James Yesiga, the country manager of Terre Des Homes Netherlands Uganda, a children’s organisation, said it is vital to involve the girl-child in decision making. “ There is need to strengthen the leadership and meaningful participation of girls and young women in all decision making processes through having a supportive, gender and youth-responsive enabling policy and legal environment,” he said.
The programme, which runs between 2021 and 2025, comes at a time when the country is making strides in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in decision making as an essential component of human development, basic human rights and a critical precondition for achieving the sustainable development goals.
According to the Global Gender Gap 2016, Uganda ranks 61 out of 144 countries in gender equality gap between women and men across four key areas of health, education, economy and politics.
